


Promises

by kikibug13



Category: The Covenant (2006)
Genre: F/M, Implied Child Abuse, Implied Relationships, Implied Underage, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-22
Updated: 2012-12-22
Packaged: 2017-11-22 00:10:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/603609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kikibug13/pseuds/kikibug13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Glimpses of Reid and Tyler growing up, close.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Promises

**Author's Note:**

  * For [withoutmaps](https://archiveofourown.org/users/withoutmaps/gifts).



> This one got away from me a little bit. But with love.
> 
> Many thanks to my beta!

The silence was only broken by choked-off sobs and breathing. They sat like that for an eternity before Reid finally spoke. "I can't... can't do this anymore."

Tyler's fingers tightened into the back of the blond's shirt, where his hand was, but he didn't answer. Didn't let go, either. 

Reid curled up further in on himself, burrowing into his friend at the same time. Tomorrow, they'd both pretend this wasn't happening. Tomorrow, Reid was going to bounce back into not only taking the punches but inviting them, taunting people for them. Because none of them spoke as hard to him as _her_ , and he couldn't run away from his mother and the poison she steeped her family in. 

Tonight, Reid was suffocating, lost in the way words had humiliated him, hurt him, leveled him to the ground. He'd know years ago she would never stop doing this to them, the two people she'd loved the most and could never be like, no matter how hard she tried. But she was his _mother_ and he couldn't tune her out. He wanted to. He knew it would be a smart choice. But, just like his father, he couldn't. 

Tyler couldn't take it away for him. He didn't have words to say to ease the pain. Not now, there would be words later when the poison started draining out and whatever Reid heard wasn't tainted by it as completely. But he was here. Reid couldn't leave behind the hurt that his mother caused. And Tyler _wouldn't_ leave behind the man that Reid was, all of him - getting into trouble, sharp words, nasty tricks, tears in the night, and everything. 

~~~

Reid's eyes opened in the darkness, and he took a quick breath before the warmth and comfort surrounding him registered. They were both mostly thin preteen limbs and enthusiasm, but it still made a whole lot of difference from waking up alone. Tangled up with Tyler? It made his body absolutely reluctant to move, and, rare as that was, made him relax a little. Felt like it'd been forever since he woke up and felt anything other than... anxious. 

Except he had to move. He was in Tyler's room, and the morning finding him here would be a really bad thing. Not because of Ty's parents, obviously, they loved him. Reid's own mother... the chill of the thought had a sliver of ice chill up along his spine, even in the warm comfort of Tyler's embrace. So he steeled himself to how cold getting up would be, and wen for it. No use delaying, right?

He was shifting Tyler's leg when the other boy stirred. "wur' you goin'?" he mumbled, sleepily. "Sleepover." 

... 

Oh. So... it was all right to be here. At Tyler's house, at any rate.

His best friend was already asleep again, lulled by the way he stopped moving, heh. Reid still waited a little, wondering whether to return to sleep himself or finish getting up. His bladder won out. 

When he came back, the moon was painting shadows over Tyler's skin, and Reid watched a moment, contemplative, before shuffling to his backpack and taking out a pencil, eraser, and sketchpad. He wasn't anywhere near good enough to capture _this_ , but he wanted to try. He curled around the sketchpad in one of the big, comfortable armchairs and did just that.

So hard did he focus on getting the crook of an arm right that he missed the moment when Tyler stirred, his eyes opening in the darkness. Blinging, more like it. 

"What're you doing?"

Reid's head snapped up, eyes wide, and he swallowed to avoid stammering. "...homework. Go back to sleep, baby boy."

He could see Tyler's lips curve up, with warmth, over the name, but he shook his head. "'s dark. Come back to bed, too?"

Reid considered that for a moment. But he was not that fond of homework to begin with, so... sitting up would be even more suspicious. So he stuffed the sketchbook in his bag and crawled back under the covers. 

"Where did you think you were going, earlier, anyway?" Reid could feel heat rising to his cheeks, and he didn't answer. Tyler knew that one, anyway. "You're five years too young for a license, let alone a car. Goof."

"Walk."

Tyler was smaller than him, younger. Just having to answer than one - or, rather, thinking of the alternatives to not going home - made Reid curl up on himself tight enough that he was tucked into his friend, burrowed into him, almost. Tyler's fingers that found their way to his hair were comforting. Relaxing him. 

"'s odd, you know? Your hair's turning darker. Soon you're not gonna be my blondie."

... and the relaxation faded away, replaced by sad tension in the muscles that almost felt like wilting, from the inside. If Tyler didn't want him anymore, either...

"... hey, hey!" Tyler didn't raise his voice, but his tone hardened, slightly. "It's all right, okay? I still like you. No matter what color your hair is. Always will. Like you."

Reid drew in a shaky breath, then nodded, slightly. "Go back to sleep, baby boy." He was too sleepy to be able to process any of it. So he nuzzled into Tyler's chest and waited for his heartbeat to slow down, for both of their heartbeats to slow down. Somewhere while trying to keep a track on that, he slipped into sleep.

~~~

"Dude!"

"What?"

"Is that _my_ sweater?"

"... maybe..."

"Come on. You still haven't returned my belt."

"Did, too!"

"Did not. What's with the snagging of clothes, anyway? I mean, that was Pogue's T-shirt you had on the other day, too!"

Reid... shrugged. Focused on taking his books out. He wasn't going to say that it was - _comforting_ to have something tangible of his best friends', some days. Days when it was difficult to want to be himself and the fact that the two (sometimes three) of them wanted him around, even as contrary as he could be, was all that kept him going. 

"I just like them, okay? And by the time I looked, they were already sold out, so I borrow them for a while." Not like any of them had any trouble affording clothes, anyway. But that seemed like plausible enough excuse. 

Tyler rolled his eyes. "Whatever." Then he leaned closer and ruffled Reid's hair.

"Hey! Watch that!"

"Make me!"

The scuffle spilled out into the hallway, and by the time they were pulled apart, Reid felt better enough to have almost forgotten the question. It wasn't until much later (years) that he wondered if Tyler wasn't doing those things on purpose. They did work, though.

~~~

It was a _good_ party. Then again, all Reid's parties that happened when his mom was away usually were. And, yes, he felt a bit hollow that his _mother_ had somehow had to be away exactly for his birthday, his thirteenth, but he wasn't going to complain too much. His dad even allowed him to spike the punch a _little_ bit and had gotten him all the presents he'd asked for and a couple of surprises, and, all in all, it wasn't bad. 

Especially since it was the Day. The day when he was going to catch up with Caleb and Pogue. Who had tried to explain what it was like, like, a hundred times, but it really didn't work. And his dad didn't quite remember what it felt like, he said the actual ascension was much more, and he remembered that better. But it wasn't until he was _eighteen_ , and that was going to be forever, so he didn't care about it yet. Mostly. This was today, after all, and it was his day.

His father had stepped out to get the cake, and Reid was pretty much bouncing around, getting people to start moving to the right table, when it hit him, stealing his breath as though he'd been kicked in the chest. It made him whimper, and _then_ he was filled to overflowing with _some_ thing, and it sort of hurt, and he dropped to his knees, finally managing to cry out. It hurt, and it also thrummed in every fiber of his being like nothing he had experienced or imagined before, and then there were arms around him, Tyler's voice asking if he was okay, and Reid? Reid burrowed against him, hiding his face into the familiar jersey as he tried to figure out if he was. Tyler hugged him closer, and, a few moments later, Pogue and Caleb were beside them, and he could actually _feel_ it was them without looking up, the thrum inside him changing, adding a higher note and a lower when they huddled down to ask if he was all right.

"Sure," he muttered, "I just didn't realize we were running fifteen minutes late or something." Cake, then vanishing for this, and then back to the party to _try_ the cake. That had been the plan. But.

Pogue bounced up to start telling people it was okay, Reid had just twisted his ankle and fallen and cried up at the bruise already forming. And Caleb... Caleb murmured, low, firm. "Don't Use. I know right now it feels like you could burst, but just. Don't."

Reid hadn't realized just how _much_ he wanted to until the older boy mentioned. But when he did, oh. _Oh._

"Reid! Don't."

"Reid, your eyes..." Tyler's voice broke through the want to do contrary to what Caleb had said, because he could. 

"Too many people here, okay? Wait until we're on our own, just. Fight it, man!"

It penetrated through the power pulsing inside him that Caleb was trying to help. To remind him of what they'd been taught. Hide. Don't let people know. Don't use too much, learn to control it, because it was addictive, and they all knew Caleb's dad. And that their dads were looking older than their mothers, anyway, regardless of actual age differences. 

He whimpered, hiding his face against Tyler again, but then nodded. 

"I think I can do that."

"Good."

And then his father was there, a smudge of cream against his sleeve and his eyes worried, _black_. More words were spoken, and Reid got whisked out of the room so he could get sweet, sweet relief. 

It was better than sweet.

~~~

Tyler's birthday was a school-day, so there wasn't a party. He wasn't at _school_ \- none of them were, they clearly were down with the same flu - but it was much calmer. His mom and dad were there, as were his three peers. It looked... so strange, from the outside, the way Ty's body slumped, then perked up, his face twisted in the strange not-pain sensation that they were all going to have to learn to live with (how had Caleb done it, all alone? Then again, Caleb never quite was.) or end up like William.

Reid could vaguely recall them all being very little, and a delight that Uncle Billy was coming and bringing Caleb for the day. He didn't know why he thought of it just now - maybe because of the way Tyler's dad had his arm around his shoulder, talking quietly about... breathing? What the fuck did breathing help with?

Reid rolled his eyes and hung back, watching. For now.

But it was his turn, eventually. When Caleb and Pogue had left and Tyler seemed steady enough. He grabbed Ty's hand and took off with him in the pre-spring slush. They'd get cleaned up later. Now? Now Reid had something specific in mind.

The rock face wasn't anywhere near as tall as the one near the beach, but it would do, for tonight. Tyler frowned at him, and Reid smirked. 

"It's fun, baby boy. Much better than a water slide."

"I don't _like_ water slides." Beat. "Too much."

"This is still better."

And he jumped. 

It took a few times showing what he did and when exactly, but finally Tyler braved it. And the way his eyes, returned to blue, shone after? Yeah, so totally worth it. It was a great mix, adrenaline, the feel of the fall and the knowledge you could catch yourself, and Using. They kept at it until the edge was a little blunted, when their magic wasn't the most they thought about, then they chased each other through the mud until they reached a barn on Tyler's grounds (well. The Simms' grounds. Technically), grabbed a couple of blankets, and flopped on the floor. The ground was wet, but up here? It was perfect, and the sky was clear, the stars twinkling into visibility one by one. 

They piled up on the blanket, heads on each other's shoulders and feet away from each other, and watched them. 

"You all right?"

Silence.

"Yeah. You?"

"I'm great." 

"Sure?"

"Positive."

"Are you..."

"No, I have _not_ been using too much, stop that. Not you, too."

"Hey, I'm just... getting how hard it is."

Reid stayed quiet a little. Then he sighed. 

"It kinda is, isn't it."

"I've no idea how we're supposed to do that for longer."

"We've gotta manage, okay?"

His turn to wait out a silence, then he could feel Tyler's nod against his shoulder. 

Reid didn't speak, either. Just turned his face a little to press his cheek against Ty's. 

They lay there until it got really chilly. Then went back to the mansion to get warmed up by the fireplace. And see if there were any cookies to find.

~~~

Reid was glaring across the pool table at Nicky's, at a burly man from the next town who usually only came here for trouble, when Tyler elbowed his way to his side.

"I'm sorry," he tilted his chin at the stranger showing no apology at all, "but I'll have to take Reid here away. Hope you can finish this another time."

The man's eyes narrowed, but then he shrugged. Reid, on the other hand, tried to shake Tyler's hold on him. "What are you talking about?"

"Come on, blondie, we're packing out of here."

Reid glared. But, after a moment, just shook his head, tossed the cue on the table, and followed. And tugged Tyler to face him as soon as they cleared the door. "What's this all about, Ty?"

"What's _this_ all about? You've been acting out since this afternoon! I don't know _what_ happened, but I thought I'd better find you before Caleb did. Or your mom."

Reid winced, then stalked over to his car. Tyler followed, slipping into the passenger seat. They both had their learner's permits, but Reid was the one who had pushed to get allowed to actually drive until they let him. He probably was going to total the poor thing, sooner or later, but for now, he was good with it.

But Tyler wasn't done. "What? Talk to me, Reid."

Reid pushed his bleached hair out of his eyes and sped up. He didn't want to talk about it. Didn't want to talk about what he and Pogue might have gotten up to for a couple of years now, or the way seeing him with the beautiful girl on his arm had made a sharp pain shoot through him. Or the way he _knew_ she wasn't... how he knew Kate wasn't going to go away in a week or two.

"Reid..."

He'd been silent too long, and Tyler's hand had found its way to his shoulder, and Reid's face just crumpled as he hit the breaks. 

"I don't... I can't..."

He swallowed, and then Tyler was undoing his belt, tugging him over in his lap, and Reid didn't really want his best friend to know that it helped, but then he also sort of did. Because Tyler would silently do it, let him burrow and hold him, until pain would ease, his body would relax, and he would stop blathering sharp stupidities. 

Tonight, he was quiet. He didn't want to talk, he really didn't, but the words eventually tumbled out. 

"D'you see how Pogue is looking at the chick?"

Tyler took a moment to answer, and Reid could imagine the frown drawing his brows down and closer without looking up. Those elfin brows. 

"It's... like she's the most important and beautiful person in the world."

"Yeah, it was."

"It's... I'm... not important. Or beautiful."

"... _what_? That's absolutely _not_ true!"

"Except where it is."

"Stop that. Reid. Reid, blondie, trouble-in-a-backpack. I know he thinks you are, too." 

"Does not. He's got a girlfriend, he's not even supposed to."

"...oh, you idiot." Tyler pressed his lips against his temple, and Reid almost wanted to whimper. "He's looked at you sort of that way, too. And so have other people."

"Yeah. But sort of."

"Shush."

"... wait. You know?"

"I'm not _blind_ , okay?"

The older boy winced.

"It's okay. I'm here, beautiful."

Reid shuddered, then slumped. "I... you..."

"It's okay."

When he wasn't crying any longer, Reid sighed. Then mumbled, low. "Think you can get me home now?"

"I think so."

"Think you can stay over?"

"... I think so."

Reid thought about it, then nodde.

"Thank you."

~~~

Reid had exhausted himself out (next to no Using, at least) and had dozed off on the couch. Tyler, on the other hand, couldn't relax. _I can't do this anymore._

The younger man sighed, and gently uncurled from around his friend, this wouldn't do. He couldn't wake him up. 

So he wandered, trying to figure out how to make it better. _Really_ make it better. "Because if you stop, blondie, what'm I supposed to do?" But it was barely a whisper, not a question to ask his friend. He knew Reid wouldn't _actually_ try to make it stop or anything. But it still... terrified him.

There was something open on Reid's desk, and Tyler had idly made his way there, eyes falling to the pale page. 

It was a drawing. A drawing of himself, younger, coming out of the pool. His hair was terrible, but he could remember that look from mirrors and such. The other part was, the drawing was good enough that he thought he could touch the droplets of water sliding down his face and chest. 

He flipped the pages. There were more sketches. Himself and Pogue naked, and a couple of the girls Reid had tried dating, none of them really lasting more than a week. Caleb's face, and his lips alone. A disjointed house facade, broken-yet-whole in the way things sometimes looked when you were actually Using on an object. 

A drawing of his and Reid's hands, held.

Tyler swallowed, thickly, and left the sketchbook just as it had been. 

Reid... Reid didn't kiss them. He didn't say he loved them, and he didn't even act it often, either. But this. This was a greater love confession than any words that might cross those lips. And it was so, so very Reid, to do it all, and to manage to hide this talent from all of them for so long. 

No way, ever, was he going to leave his blondie. Whatever it took. Not the first time he'd kept his secrets, even. 

Tyler wandered back to the couch, his heart a little lighter for what he'd seen. They'd work it out, somehow. They'd figure out how to make Meredith lay off of her son, somehow. They were just _going_ to. 

Because Tyler loved him, too.


End file.
